Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste



De@ 30, 1941 T. R. BOOTH 2,267,894

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND RENOVATING WASTE nimh" aga ATTORNE ls Dec. 30, 1941. T. R. BOOTH 2,267,894

APPARATUS FDR CLEANING AND RENOVATING WASTE Filed sept. :50, 1939 5 sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToR THOMAS R. BOOTH BY n ATTORN EY!)` Dec. 3o, 1941.v 1 R, BOOTH 2,267,894

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND RENOVATING WASTE Filed Sept. 30, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR THOMAS R. BOOTH www w ATTORN S Dec. 30, 1941. T, R, BOOTH 2,267,894

APPARATUS Foa CLEANING AND RENOVATING -wAsTE Filed sept. 30, 1959 5 sheets-shetvf;

INVENTOR i THOMAS R. ooTH` Dec. 30, 1941.

T. R. BOOTH APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND RENOVATING WASTE Filed Sept. 30, 1939 |02 lOl 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

' THOMAS R. BOOTH BYv'vWf.

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1941 APPARATUS Foa CLEANING AND RENOVAT- ING WASTE Thomas R. Booth, Indianapolis, Ind., assigner to Railway Service and Supply Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana.

Application september so, 1939, serial No. 297,197v4 14 ciims.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning and renovating journal box Waste, although other fibrous materials, and materials of granular form or the like, may be cleaned and renovated by the use of the apparatus here involved. The methods here disclosed for cleaning and renovating jou'rnal box W'aste, and other materials of fibrous character or of granular form, and for mixing new and old journal box waste, in any desired proportions, constitute the subject mat- -ter of a divisional application hereof, Serial Numis necessary if the waste is to satisfactorily perform its lubricating function.

One of the objects of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of apparatus which economically and efciently removes from old waste its foreign content, such as dirt, cinders, moisture and the like, and which removes from both old and new waste substantially all of the lint therein, thereby putting such Waste'in a clean condition, and which also renovates'old waste by restoring its inherent resiliency and its ability to absorb and retain lubricating oil.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of apparatus which enables old and new waste, in any desired proportions, to be intimately and thoroughly mixed or intermingled,

as it is now a well recognized fact that the most satisfactory journal box waste is a mixture of old and new waste, one very satisfactory mixture being formed of seventy-five per cent old waste and twenty-ve per cent new waste.

As will hereinafter more fully appear, apparatus embodying the present invention is of such nature that it automatically and expeditiously eiects (l) travel of the Waste therethrough; (2) the tumbling of l the waste and a vigorous shaking thereof during its travel through the apparatus, the effect of which lis to break up the waste and free it of dirt, cinders, lint, etc.; and. (3) th drying of the Waste, during its travel through the apparatus, by heated air currents, which carry from the ,apparatus moisture and from the lWaste by the shaking and tumbnng thereof.

Further objects of the present invention will appear from the following description of one form of apparatus embodying such invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus embodying the present invention, a portion of the casing of such apparatus being broken away to disclose a part of the rotatable wastereceiving cylinder therein, and said view showing the inner end portion of a waste feeding conveyor which may be used with such apparatus, if desired; Fig. la is a side elevation of the outer end portion of such wastel feeding conveyor; Fig. 2 is a view of the inbound end of the apparatus,

as viewed from the line 2 2, Fig. 1 (the line being through the Waste feeding conveyor); Fig. 3 is a View of theoutbound end of the apparatus, as viewed from the line 3-3, Fig. 1, a portion of the waste discharging conveyor being broken away to illustrate interior parts thereof; Fig. 4 is a detail cross-sectional view through the apparatus, on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; Fig. 4a is an enlargedY view of the Waste shaking mechanism, as it appears in Fig. 4;. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view through the apparatus, on the line 5 5, Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a detail longitudinal view, (on an enlarged scale, of one ofthe prong bar assemblies which automatically effects the movement of the Waste through the apparatus and which aid in the tumbling of the waste While in such apparatus.

Before the present invention isv described in detail, it is to be understood that such invention,

waste (or other material) is cleaned and reno-- vated; (b) an enclosingl casing for. said cylinder; (c) means for automatically effecting the travel of the material through said cylinder and for aiding in the tumbling of the waste in said the nner lint particles which have been removed 55 cylinder; (d) means fOr repeatedly and vigorous- Itl ' waste.

from of its foreign content, such as dirt, cinders, i lint and the like; (e) means for subjecting such waste to heated air currents during its travel through said cylinder, the effect of such air currents being to dry such waste and tocarry from the cylinder the moisture and the iiner particles of lint removed from the waste by the shaking and tumbling thereof; and (f) conveyor means for automatically removing from the cylinder and its enclosing casing the cleaned and renovated Such apparatus may also include, if desired and as here shown, conveyor means for automatically feeding to said cylinder, at any desired rate, the waste or other material to be cleaned and renovated.

As heretofore pointed out, apparatus embodying the present invention is particularly useful in the cleaning and renovating of journal box waste, and for purposes of description only and not of limitation, the apparatus here illustrated, as used for cleaning and renovating such waste, will be described.

'I'he rotatable cylinder of the present apparatus, a cylinder which may and here does have its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal, has an opening at one end, hereinafter termed its inbound end', for the reception of the waste to be cleaned and renovated, and an opening at its other end, hereinafter termed its outbound end, through which the cleaned and renovated waste is removed. The cylindrical side wall of such cylinder is here formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending, radially disposed and circumferentially spaced slats I0, of wood or other suitable material, and to add to the rigidity of such cylinder side wall and to longitudinally divide or break up the slots II between adjacent slats, one or more sets of circumferentially disposed slat partition members I3 may be utilized,

if desired, there being four sets of such partition members in the cylinder here shown.

The circumferentially disposed and longitudinally separated slots II of the cylinder side wall determine and control, as will be readily un'derstood, the screening eifect of such cylinder side wall, and such slots are, of course, of suilicient size to permit the passage therethrough, under the influence of gravity or otherwise, of the dirt, cinders, the heavier particles of lint, etc. which are freed from the waste while it is in such cylinder. Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the ends of the slats I0, one at the inbound end of the cylinder and the other at the outbound end thereof, are two relatively heavy end rings I4 and I5, which may be in the form of metal castings, and by means of which the cylinder is supported and through which it is rotated.

The casing here shown for enclosing said cover member, whichv forms the relatively straight casing side walls 23 and 24 and the arcurately shaped casing top wall 25. The casing also includes, for compartment I1 thereof, a suitable bottom wall 28, on which falls, andv from which is periodically removed, through a clean-out door 21 in the casing side wall 23, the dirt, cinders, heavier particles of lint and the like which are freed from the waste in the rotatable cylinder and which leave such cylinder through the slots II in the side wall thereof. The casing may also include, as it here does, a suitable cabinet for electric control parts, the control cabinet 28 here shown being suitably mounted upon the casing side wall 24.

Extending between the two upright end castings I8 and I 9, and suitably journalled therein, arel two horizontally disposed drive shafts 30, the V-grooved rollers 3I of which, (two on each shaft) have supporting and driving engagement with the V-shaped peripheral portions 32 of the cylinder end rings I4 and I5. For rotating said drive shafts, and hence the waste-receiving cylinder, an electric motor 34 is here utilized, said motor being mounted on the cylinder 'enclosing casing at the outbound end thereof and being operatively connected to fthe waste-receiving cylinder, and for enclosing a drive shafts 30 through an endless belt 31, a speed reducing device 38, bevelled gears 39, 40,

4I and 42, an endless chain 43 and sprocket wheels 44 on' such drive shafts. As viewed from the line 2--2 in Fig. l, or in other words, as viewed in Fig. 2, the drive shafts 30 rotate ln a clockwise direction, with the consequent rotation of' the waste-receiving cylinder in a counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. As viewed from the line 4-4 in Fig. 1, or in other words, as viewed in Fig. 4, the direction of rotation of the waste-receiving cylinder is clockwise, as the arrow in Fig. 4 indicates. Itis tobe understood, however, that the direction of rotation of such cylinder does not actually change, if viewed from the same point. It is also to be understood that the speed of rotation of such cylinder may be varied and controlled, as desired.

For automatically eecting the travel through the cylinder of waste delivered thereinto at the inbound end, thereof, and for assisting in the tumbling of such waste during its travel through said cylinder, a plurality of prong bar assemblies, associated with said cylinder andin circumferentially spaced relation, are here utilized, there being four such assemblies in the apparatus here illustrated. As the prong bar assemblies are of like construction and operate in the same manner, a description of one will suffice for all.

As best shown in Fig. 6, each of said prong bar assemblies includes a longitudinally slotted tube 48 which extends through lthe waste-receiving cylinder, just inside of its cylindrical side wall, and also through the end rings I4 and I5 of said cylinder, said cylinder end rings being provided with annular bearings 49 and 50 through which the end portions of said tube extend. Surrounding the inbound end portion of said tube 48 is a sleeve 52, the inner end heavy angle bars 22 are here utilized, the end portions of which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to such castings. Extending between suchend castings and screwed or otherwise suitably secured thereto is a sheet metal portion of which is journalled in the annular bearing 49 in the inbound cylinder end ring-I4,V

and mounted within such inbound tube end portion is a longitudinally slotted sleeve 54. Slidably mounted within such slotted sleeve 54 is a push and pull rod 56, and to prevent relative rotation of said slotted sleeve and rod and yet permit said rod to slide through or reciprocate in said sleeve, said rod is provided with aflongitudinally disposed key 51 which extends at all' t mes into the slot of said sleeve 54. Mounted the slotted tube 48 and journalled in the annular bearing 58 in the outbound cylinder end ring I is a sleeve 82, the enlarged and grooved outer end portion 63 of which is located outwardly beyond said bearing 58. Mounted within said outbound tube end portion is a longitudinally slotted sleeve 65, and by the use of a set screw 66 or the like, the tube 48 and the outer and inner sleeves 62' and 65 are connected for rotation as a unit. Slidably mounted within the inner, longitudinally slotted sleeve 65 is a supporting rod 61, and in order to prevent relative rotation of such sleeve and said rod and yet permit said rod to slide or reciprocate in said sleeve, said rod is provided with a longitudinally disposed key 68 which extends at all times into the slot of said sleeve 65, as clearly indicated in Fig. 6.

Arranged within the slotted tube 48 is a prong` v cam bar 68 with the inner surfaces of the -rollers 58 of those-prong bar assemblies which are at the falling side of'saidcylinder cause those particular rollers` and "thos'e' prong bars 14which reciprocate therewith,-to retract or move backwardly, with the consequent return of those prong bars to their starting positions, all as will be readily understood.

Another function of the prong' bars of each prong bar assembly, when each such assembly is at the rising side of the waste-receiving cylinder, is to assist such rising cylinder side in elevating portions of the waste in said cylinder and in discharging such elevated w ste onto the inclined slide sheet 16 of the here nafter described Waste shakingmechanism. For the eflicient performancevof that function, each of the prestion 80 which is mounted upon, and secured by a bar tube 10, the inbound end portion of whichtelescopes and is thereby 'supported on the reduced inner end portion 1I of the push and pull rod 56, and the outbound end portion of which prong bar tube telescopes and is thereby supported on the reduced inner end portion 12 of the supporting rod 61. In order to maintain the push and pull rod 56, the prong bar tube 10 and the supporting rod 61 in assembled relation, and for reciprocation as a unit within the slottedl tube 48, the ends of said prong bar tube may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the push and pull rod 56 and to the supporting rod 61, as will be readily understood. Suitably secured to vthe prong bar tube 10 and extending therefrom outwardly through the longitudinal slot -in the tube 48 are a plurality of longitudinally spaced wasteengageable prong bars 14, which may be, and preferably are, slightly curved, as shown.

The two semi-circular cam bars 59 and ,68.

set screw 8| to, the outer end portion of the sleeve 52 of such assembly. l

In each .prong bar assembly, as best shown in Fig.6, the sleeves 52 and 54, the inbound end portion of the slotted tube 48, and the tubular inner end portion 88 of the lever 18 are connected by a suitable key 82, with the result that such parts rotate as a unit. As best shown in Fig. 3, each prong bar assemblyis provided with suitable means, such as a coiled tension spring in the direction of cylinder'rotatlon, the purpose 83, for normally urging such assembly to rotate four prong bar assemblies, two cam bars 84 and heretofore referred to and which cooperate with l the anged wheel or roller 58 of the push and'v pull rod 56 of each prong bar assembly, are carried by a pair of cross bars 15, which are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to bosses or the like with which the inbound end casting I8 is provided.- As clearly shown in Fig. 2, the semi-l circular cam bars 59 and 68 are concentric with .bar being such that as it "falls it gradually recedes or moves away from said cylinder. As a result, the engagement of the advancing cam bar 59 with the outer surfaces of the rollers 58 of those prong bar assemblies which are at the rising side of the Waste-receiving cylinder causes those particular rollers, and those prong bars 14 which reciprocate therewith, to advance or move toward the outbound end of said cylinder. with the consequent advance or forward travel of the waste carried by such prong bars. On the are here provided on the outer face of the inbound end casting I8, said cam bars being, if

desired and as here shown, integral parts of such casting. As best shown in Fig. 2, .the cam bar 84 is of semi-circular form, and is located at the rising ,side of the Waste-receiving cylinder in eccentric relationship with respect to the longitudinal axis thereof,-the distance between such cam bar and such cylinder axis beinga gradually decreasing one as said cam bar rises.

Just before each prong bar assembly reaches its lowermost position, during rotation of the wastereceiving cylinder, the lever roller 19 of such assembly engages the lower end portion ofthe eccentric cam bar 84, the engagement of said roller and said cam bar being maintained by the coiled tension spring 83 of such prongl bar assembly. When such prong bar assembly reaches the position of the lowermost prong bar assembly shown in Fig. 2, its prong bars 14 will be substantially vertical. During continued rotation of the cylinder, with consequent rising movement of this particular prong bar assembly, the Vlever of such prong bar assembly will be depressed, or cause to trail, more and more because of the eccentricity of the cam bar 84, and as a result, the prong barsv of this particular prong bar assembly, during this rising half of its circular path, will be maintained more or less horizontal, for effecother hand, the engagement of the retracting tive waste elevation, the longitudinal curving of such prong bars facilitating, as will be readily understood, the elevation of said waste by such bars. When such prong bar assembly reaches its uppermost position, its lever roller 19 leaves the upper end of the cam bar 84, whereupon the coiled tension spring 83 of such assembly l becomes effective to swing the rotatable parts of such assembly in a counter-clockwise direction, with the consequent dropping of the waste carried by the prong bars 14 of such assembly onto the inclined slide sheet 16 of the hereinafter described waste shaking mechanism.

In order to limit such counter-clockwise movement of the rotatable parts of each prong bar assembly, when its lever roller 19 leaves the upper end of the cam bar 84, suitable stops or abutments 81 are here provided on the outer face of the inbound cylinder end ring I4, there being one of such stops for, and in advance of, each of the prong bar assemblies. As the result, when the lever roller 19 of a prong bar assembly leaves the upper end of the eccentric cam bar 84, the coiled tension spring 83 of such assembly is effective to swing the rotatable parts of such assembly only about one-half of a revolution, or

in other words, through approximately 180, further counter-clockwise rotation of such rotatable assembly parts being arrested by the engagement of the lever 18 of such assembly with the stop 81 therefor, all as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. Such arresting oi the counter-clockwise rotation of each such `prong bar assembly not only locates the lever roller 19 thereof in proper position for engagement with the reversing cam bar 85 hereinafter referred to but also, locates the prong bars 14 of said assembly alongside and in more or less conformity with the contour of the cylinder side wall, and as a result, there is sumcient room for said prong bars to pass, during downward travel thereof, behind the upper edge of the inclined slide sheet 16 of the waste shaking mechanism.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the reversing cam bar 85 is a relatively short bar, and is located :lust slightly in advance of the lower end of the eccentric cam bar 84. When descending, each prong bar assembly has its roller-carrying lever 18 in advance of its prongA bars 14, a relationship which is brought about by the effect of the coiled tension spring 83 of such assembly. The function of the reversing cam bar 85, therefore, is to reverse that relationship, and." during the engagement of the lever roller 19 of a descending prong bar assembly with the reversing cam bar 85, a progressively increasing retarding e'ect is exerted upon such roller and the lever 18 by which it is carried, and the result of that retardation is the advancement of the prong bars of such assembly relative to such lever and its roller. The use of the reversing cam bar 85, therefore, accomplishes the -return of each descending prong bar assembly to proper position for the engagement of its lever roller 19 with the eccentric cam bar 84, all as will be readily understood.

The shaking mechanism of the present apparatus, by means of which the waste within the lie beneath said slide sheet 16, the bar 9| being above the bar 90 and being slightly rearwardly disposed, in accordance with the inclination of said-slide sheet, and the bar 92 being at the rear of the bar 9|, in alignment therewith but vspaced therefrom. At its two ends, this set of.

bars is provided, integrally as here shown or otherwise, with generally rectangular end pads 93, which 'are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the casing end castings .I8 and I9 and which pads form the end walls of an oil reservoir 94. Said reservoir is closed at its bottom and at its rear by a sheet metal closure member 95, which extends between the end pads 93 and which may be suitably secured to the supporting bars 90 and 92'. At its top, said reservoir is provided with a removable closure member 98, and for the front of said reservoir, a removable closure member 91 is provided, said removable closure members 96 and 91 being of full reservoir length and the front closure member 91 being interposed between, and in engagement with, the slide sheet 16 and the supporting bars 90 and 9|.

For the shaking of the waste, a plurality of shaker iingers 99 are here provided, said fingers being longitudinally spaced throughout substantially the entire length of the waste-receiving cylinder. These fingers may be, and here are, formed from round bar stock and, as Figs. 4 and 4a will disclose, are designed to simulate the human arm, with the elbow slightly bent, with the palm of the hand uppermost and with the fingers slightly curved upwardly. The upper portion |00 of each of the present shaker fingers, which portion corresponds to that part of the human arm between the elbow and the shoulder,`extends through suitable bearings in the supporting bars 90 and 9| and is provided above the bar 9|, and within the oil reservoir 94, with a spur gear 0|. For the driving of these spur gears, a gear rack |02 is provided, reciprocation of which is effected by an electric motor |03 operatively connected with such gear rack (see Figs. 2 and 5) through a connecting rod |04, a crank shaft |05 and suitable speed reducing gearing. By reciprocatory movement of said gear rack, the shaker fingers 99 are caused to oscillate,

the upturned free ends of such fingers describing arcs of approximately 180 and the plane of oscillation of those'parts of such fingers which correspond to human forearms being somewhat rotatable cylinder is repeatedly and more or less upwardly inclined. As will be readily understood, the speed of oscillation of the shaker fingers depends upon and is controlled by the speed of reciprocation of the gear rack |02, and such speed may be readily varied, of course, as the nature and the condition of the waste requires. For the lubrication of the gear rack I 02, the spur gears `|0| and the shaker finger bearings in the bars and 9| a small plunger type pump |01 is here provided, said pump being mounted within the oil reservoir 94 between the supporting bars 9| and 92 and beneath the gear rack |02.

The operation of said pump is effected by a cam |08 attached to the lower side of said gear rack, and bythe use of a pipe |09, the pump is enabled to distribute to the'parts to be lubricated a constant supply of oil during operation of the present apparatus.

During the travel of the waste through the rotatable cylinder of the present apparatus, said waste is subjected to currents of heated air, which not onlydry the waste by the removal of its moisture but which also 'aid in the loosening up of the waste, in the expanding of its fibres and y therebetween. The intake opening of each of the blowers has associated therewith an air supply duct ||4, and associated with each of such ducts is a hood |I5, one of said hoods being in air receiving communication with the inbound end of the waste-receiving cylinder and the other of said hoods being in air receiving communication th the outbound end of said cylinder. vInasi'ch as it isv neither necessary nor desirable te( have the ends of such waste-receiving cylinder fully open, a condition which would make it more diflicult to insure the flow into the hoods |5, rather than out into the room in which the present apparatus is located, of moisture and lint laden air which leavessaid cylinder through the erids thereof, the end openings in the `present cylinder are restricted, by the use of suitable end sheets ||'|5v-,- to such size-as is necessary for the delivery azdiremoval of the waste. For the support of such cylinder-end sheets, cross bars of thev cylinder enclosing' casing are here utilized, such as the cross bars 'I5 at the inboundend of said casing and a cross bar at the outbound end thereof. To aid the hoods H to trap the air leaving the waste-receiving cylinder through the end openings thereof, flexible curtains ||8 of fabric or the like may be mounted over each end of the present apparatus, as indicated in Fig.

waste which has been cleaned and renovated, a

l belt type unloading conveyor |2'| is here utilized and as said conveyor is of more or less conventional form, only abrief description thereof is here necessary. 'As indicated in Fig. 5, the receiving end of such unloading conveyor is located within the outbound end of the rotatable waste-receiving cylinder, and the waste-advancing action of such cylinder and its prong bar assemblies is suiiicient to automatically effect the deposit of clean and renovated waste onto the belt of such conveyor. Unlike the belts of' conventional conveyors,` the belt |28 of the present conveyor is provided throughout substantially its entire waste-receiving surface with suitable teeth |29, the effect of which is to provide such belt with the necessary traction and to insure the unloading of all waste, including those portions momentarily engaged by prong bars and/or shaker fingers. By the use of the present unloading conveyor, the cleaned and renovated waste is automatically removed from the waste-receiving cylinder and carried upwardly and outwardly therefrom by such conveyor, and automatically dumped thereby into drums or other suitable containers, as will be readily understood. For the driving of the belt |28 of such conveyor, the

5, and to remove from such air its moisture, lint,

dust, etc., filter bags ||9 or the like may be arranged within such hoods and their associated ducts H4, as clearly shown in Fig. l and as will be readily understood.

The air discharge openings of the blowers ||2 communicate with an elongated Vhousing |20 which in turn communicates with a suitable heater |2|, and in passing through this heater, the

air is heated, by steam pipes as here shown orv otherwise, to any desired degree. Connected to the heater |2| is a duct |22, by means of which the heated air is discharged into the waste-receiving cylinder at thev rising side thereof, and by making the duct |22 of nozzle shape, as here shown, the velocity of the air entering the cylinderis increased, with a consequent increase in the waste-penetrating value of such air.

Inasmuch as it is necessary, from a practical standpoint, to have at least partially open the ends of the casing of the present apparatus, for the delivery'of waste thereto and for the removal of waste therefrom, and inasmuch as it is impractical to try to trap, for recirculation, all air leaving said casing through its end openings, it is desirable to more or lessbalance the air pressures inside and outside the apparatus, and thereby minimize at least the amount of moisture and lint laden air which passes from such apparatus out into the room wherein it is located. For

this purpose, the housing |20 which communicates with the discharge openings of the blowers ||2 may have arranged therein a pair of baiiies |24 provided with adjustable air deliectors |25, one such bailie and its air deflectors being shown in Fig. 1. By adjustment of the air defiectors of these bailies, control is had of the amount of air which is by-passed to an exhaust conduit |26 with which the housing |20 also communicates, a conduit which leads outsidethe room in which the present apparatusis located. y

For automatically removing from the present apparatus, through the outbound end thereof,

electric motor 34 (which rotates the cylinder drive shafts 30) is here utilized, said motor being operatively connected (see Fig. 3) with the driving pulley of such conveyor belt through the reducing device 38, a sprocket chain |30, etc.

Although not essential, a waste loading conveyor is preferably used with the present apparatus, as suchv a conveyor enables the rateat which the waste is fed into the rotatable cylinder to be conveniently controlled. For the lap-I paratus here illustrated, a belt-type loading conveyor |3|, shown in Figs. 1, 1a and 5, is utilized. As indicated in Fig. 5, a suitable baille plate |32 is arranged between the belt strands |33 and |34, the purpose of which is to prevent Waste particles and the like from falling onto the upper or inner face of the lower belt strand |34'and being carried therebyto the belt pulleys. Ina'smuch as the loading conveyor here shown does not other- Wise differ from conventional belt conveyors, no further description of the' present loading conveyor need be given, although mention might be -lmade of the fact that the driving belt pulley of such conveyor is driven by the electric motor |03 through the crankshaft |05, bevel gears |35 and |36, sprocket chain |31, etc.

As will be readily understood from the foregoing description of the apparatus here .illustarted, in the use of such apparatus, waste to ne cleaned and-renovated isldeposited, by hand or othering cylinder, it is carried 'upwardly and forwardly by the advancing prong bars 'I4 at the rising side of the cylinder, and when such waste reaches the top of said cylinder, it is dropped by said prong bars onto the inclined slide sheet 'I6 and deposited thereby upon the oscillating shaker finger 99. The vigorous shaking action to which the mass of waste is subjected by such shaker mass of waste of dirt, cinders, lint and the like,

the refuse or foreign matter thus removed falling by gravity' through the slots Il in the cylinder side wall into the casing compartment l1 therebelow. From the shaker fingers 99, the

more or less resist the advancing action of the prong bars and at least partially nullify the benefits of the shaking action by the oscillating shaker fingers, the material-advancing rate of the prong bars may be increased to approximately one hundred and twenty per cent of the inbound conveyor speed and the outbound conveyor speed may be increased to approximately one hundred mass of waste (which is now in at least a partially clean and broken up condition) falls onto the cylinder side wall, and is again carried upwardly and forwardly by the advancing prong bars and is again subjected to a shaking action by the oscillating shaker fingers `99, and this procedure continues until such mass of waste reaches the outbound end of said cylinder.

As a result, when the mass of waste reaches such outbound end of said rotating cylinder, it

is substantially free of dirt, cinders, lint and theJ like, and is in a thoroughly loosened and broken up condition, with itsinherent resiliency and its ability to absorb and retain moisture fully restored. Moreover, during its travel through said cylinder, the mass of waste is constantly subjected to heated air currents, the velocity of which is sufficient to enable them to penetrate the waste and not only remove the moisture therefrom but also,l assist in the agitation of the Waste and the removal therefrom of dirt, cinders, lint, etc. The moisture and the finer particles of lint removed from. the waste leave the rotating cylinder with the outgoing air, and before such air is again circulated through said cylinder, it is passed through suitable filtering means for the removal therefrom of its entrained moisture, lint, dust and the like. I

'Upon reaching the outbound end of the rotating cylinder, each mass of waste is deposited, by the advancing movement of those cylinder rising side 'prong barsv at the'outbound end of said cylinder, onto the outwardly moving belt |28 of the unload'mg conveyor |21, and such belt carries the now clean, dry and renovated waste to, and deposits it in, suitable drums or containers,

ready for journaLbox use when supplied with oil. In the cleaning and renovating of old journal box waste, by the use of the present apparatus, it is desirable, of course, that such waste be freed, so far as is practical, of its oil content, one satisfactory manner of removing such oil being by centrifugal extraction, as is well known inthe art to which this invention relates.

Aswill be readily understood, the output of the present apparatus and its efficiency depend,

' at least in part, upon the conveyor speeds, the

material-advancing rate of the prong bars, the speed of oscillation of the shaker fingers, and the drying value of the heated air currents, and in the determination of those factors, the nature and the condition of the material to be cleaned,

dried, renovated or otherwise acted upon are, of course, of the utmost importance.

, Numerous combinations and ratios are possible with the present apparatus, and in the cleaning and renovating of certain material, it is satisfactory to have the material-advancing rate of the'.

vprong bars ten per cent higher and the outbound conveyor speed twenty per cent highery than the inbound conveyor speed, the effect of these progressively-increasing speeds being to prevent the material from clogging the apparatus. If the material to be treated has a. marked tendency to tangle and form a compact mass, and thereby and thirty per centof such inbound conveyor speed, as Will be readily understood.

For increased output, the speed ofl operation of these parts may be increased, in theproportions or ratios herein referred to or otherwise, and within certain limits, the speed ,of oscillation of the shaker flngers may remain constant without sacrice in the amount of work performed thereby. 'I'his is due to the fact that in the ordinary operation of the apparatus, the material is engaged by the shaker fingers for only a part of the time .required for the rotating cylinder to make one-quarter of a revolution, there being, as heretofore pointed out, four sets of prong bars in the apparatus here illustrated. AIt is also to be noted that variations in the material-advancing rate of the prong bars and in the speeds of the inbound and outbound conveyors does not affect the number of -times that the material is deposited on the shaker fingers during its travel through the rotating cylinder, as that number depends only on the length of such cylinder and the extent of prong bar advance during forward reciprocation thereof.

In order to enable the material to be properly dried by the heated air currents introduced into the rotating cylinder, regardless of the rate of travel of such material through said cylinder, the capacity of the blowers II2 and the heater I2I are sufficiently great to enable such air currents to have drying or evaporating values ashigh as desired, the heating value of the steam delivered to the heater |2| here shown being varied as desired. As heretofore pointed out, the most satisfactory journal box waste is a mixture of old and new waste, one very satisfactory mixture being composed of approximately seventy-five per cent old waste and approximately twenty-five per cent new waste. Before new waste is used, however, the lint therein should be removed, and if the mixture is to be a satisfactory one, the old and new waste bres must be intimately and thoroughly mixed or intermingled.

By the use of the present apparatus, old and new waste can be easily and quickly mixed, intimately and thoroughly and inany desired proportions, as the tumbling and shaking to which the waste is subjected during its travel through the rotating cylinder of the present apparatus eects a breaking up of the waste and a thorough mixing and intermingling of the fibres thereof. Moreover, the lint in the new waste is effectively removed therefrom during the mixing of such waste with the old waste, and the old waste is, of course, thoroughly cleaned and renovated while it is being mixed with the new waste, all as will be readily understood.

In the appended claims, the term waste is to be considered as including not only journal box waste but also, other fibrous materials and materials of a kindred nature, such as granular materials and the like which now are, or which may be, subjected to cleaning, drying, screening and like treatment. Furthermore, the term cleaning V(and like terms) is to be considered as including moisture removal or drying, as well as cleaning by the removal of dirt, cinders,

etc. The term renovatin`g,. as used in the appended claims, denotes a. breakingorloosening o ener/,894

unt, .l

andV being substantially coextensivein length up of the material, which in the case of journal box waste and the like, effectsfa restoration to the waste libres of theirinherent resiliency'and their ability to absorb and retain oil, as heretofore pointed out. vo o Further features and advantages of the present invention will occur-to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

WhatIclaimis; Y l. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, reciprocable Ameans arranged within said cylinder and rotatable therewith, said means being reciprocable'vlongitudinally of said cylinder and having advancing movement relative to -such cylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder when at the falling side thereof, with the result that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement ofsaid reciprocable means the Waste is not only carried upwardly but also forwardly toward the cylinder movement relative thereto when at the rising fside of such cylinder-and having retracting movement relativeto said cylinder whenat the falling side thereof, with the result that during ro- Y tation of'said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the waste repeatedly is carried upwardly and forwardly toward the cylinder outlet opening, and shaker means longitudinally arranged within said cylinder and l upon which said waste is repeatedly deposited waste, comprising an elongated casing, a rotatoutlet opening, and shaker means arranged within said cylinder and upon "whichjsaid waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and for-- subjected -to able cylinder mounted within said casing 4and having a-foraminous side wall. said casing and y saidcylinder having aligned waste inlet openings at one end and aligned waste outlet openings at the' other end and said casing being otherwise closed, reciprocable means arranged Within said cylinder and rotatable therewith, said means beingreciprocable longitudinally of said cylinder and having advancing movement relative thereto when at the rising side of such cylinder and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder when at the falling side thereof, with the result that during rotation of said cylin'der and-advancing movement of said recipro- -cable means the waste is not only carried up- Wardly but also forwardly toward the cylinder and-casing-outlet openings, and shaker means arranged within said cylinder and upon which said waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and forwardly and by which said waste is subtion of said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the waste is not only carried upwardly but also forwardly toward the cylinder outlet opening,- and oscillatable shaker means .arranged within said cylinder and upon which said waste is deposited after being carried upwardly andl forwardlyand by which said waste is subjected to a shaking action.

3. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising `a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening atV its other end, reciprocable prong bars arranged within said cylinder in longitudinally spacedrelation therealong and being r0-A tatable therewith, said prong bars being reciprocable longitudinally of said cylinder and having .advancing movement relative to suchcylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder-when at the falling side thereof, with the result that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of said prong bars the waste is not subjected to a shaking action.

4. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, reciprocable means arranged within and rotatable with said cylinder jected to a shaking action.

A 6. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a Awaste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, reciprocable means arranged within said cylinder and rotatable therewith, said means beingreciprocable longitudinally of saidcylinder and having advancing movement relative to such cylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder when at the falling side thereof, with the result that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the waste is not only carried upwardly but alsoforwardly toward the cylinder outlet opening, 'shaker means arranged within said cylinder and upon which said waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and for- Wardly and by which said waste is subjected to a shaking action, and means lfor subjecting said Waste while in said cylinder to currents of air.

7. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet'opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end and also having a foraminous' side wall, reciprocable means arranged within said cylinder and rotatable theresaid cylinder and upon which said Waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and for- `wardly and by which said waste is subjected to a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, a waste unloading conveyor extending through said cylinder outlet opening, with the resultant location of the wastereceiving end of said conveyor within said cylinder, reciprocable meansV arranged within said cylinder and rotatable therewith, said means being reciprocable longitudinally of said cylinder and having advancing movement relative to such cylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder when at the falling side thereof, with the result that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the Waste is repeatedly carried upwardly and forwardly toward the waste-receiving end of said unloading conveyor, and shaker means arranged within said cylinder and upon which said waste resisting such swinging movement of said prong is repeatedly deposited after being carried upwardly and forwardly and by which said waste is repeatedly subjected to a shaking action, the final advancing movement of said waste by said reciprocable means resulting in thedepositing of such waste upon the receiving end of said unloading conveyor and the resultant conveyance of such wasteout of and from said cylinder.

9. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, a plurality of longitudinally disposed reciprocable means arranged within said cylinder adjacent its side Wall and in circumferentially spaced relation, said reciprocable means being rotatable with said cylinder and having advancing movement relative to such cylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder when at the falling side thereof,'with the result that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the Waste is not only carried upwardly but also forwardly toward the lcylinder outlet end opening, and a single set of longitudinally disposed shaker fingers arranged within said cylinder and upon which said waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and forwardly and by which shaker fingers the waste is subjected to a rather vigorous shaking action.

10. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating Waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a Waste outlet opening at its other end, reciprocable means arranged within said\ cylinder and rotatable therewith, cam means for effecting advancing movement of said reciprocable means relative to and longitudinally of such cylinder when such reciprocable means is at the rising side of said cylinder and for effecting retracting movement of said reciprocable means relative to and 1ongitudinally of said cylinder when such reciprocable means is at the falling side of such cylinder, with the result that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the waste is not only carried upwardly but also forwardly toward the cylinder outlet opening, and shaker means arranged within said cylinder and upon which said waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and forwardly and by which said waste is subjected to a shaking action.

11. In apparatus for cleaning and renovating Waste, a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at the other end, a-unitary set of prong bars so carried by said cylinder that they rotate therewith and yet can swing relative thereto, said prong bars being arranged within said cylinder in-spaced relation along its length, means for eiecting advancing movement of said prong bars relative to said cylinder whenl such bars are at the rising side thereof and for effecting retracting movement of said prong bars relative to said cylinder when said bars are at the falling side thereof, means normally tending to swing said prong bars relative to said cylinder, means for bars when said prong bars are rising with the rising side of said cylinder, the effect of which is to maintain such rising prong bars substanially horizontal, means for limiting the swinging movement of -said prong bars when they reach the top of said cylinder and when said resisting means is no longer'eiective thereon, and means for swinging said prong bars in the opposite direction when they reach the bottom of said cylinder to thereby return said prong bars to such position as to enable said resisting means to be again effective thereon.

12. In apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening atthe other end, a unitary set of prong bars so carried by said cylinder that they rotate therewith and yet can swing relative thereto, said prong bars being arranged within said. cylinder in spaced relation along its length, means 'including generally arcuate cams `for effecting advar icing movement of said prong bars relative to said cylinder when such bars are at the rising side thereof and for eiecting retracting movement of said prong bars relative to said cylinder when said bars are at the falling side thereof, spring means normally tending to swing said prong bars relative to said cylinder, means including an eccentrically disposed cam for resisting such swinging movement of said prong bars when said prong bars Iarerising with the rising side of said cylinder, the effect of which is to maintain such rising prong bars substantially horizontal, abutment means for limiting the swinging movement of said prong bars when they reach the top of said cylinder and when said resisting means is no longer effective thereon, and means including a reversing cam for swinging said prong bars in the opposite direction when they reach the bottom of said cylinder to thereby return said prong bars to such position as to enable said resisting means to be again effective thereon.

13. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, inbound conveyor means extending through said cylinder inlet opening for feeding waste to the cylinder, outbound conveyor means extending through said cylinder outlet opening for removing waste i from said cylinder, reciprocable means arranged within said cylinder and rotatable therewith, said means being reciprocable longitudinally of said cylinder and having advancing movement relative to such cylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to said cylinder when at the falling side thereof, with the result that; during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of said reciprocable means the waste is not only carried upwardly but also forwardly toward the cylinder outlet opening, and oscillatable shaker means arranged within said cylinder and upon which said Waste is deposited after being carried upwardly and forwardly and by which said Waste is subjected to a shaking action, the waste-advancing rate of said reciprocable means being higher than the inbound conveyor speed but less than the outbound conveyor speed.

14. Apparatus for cleaning and renovating waste, comprising a rotatable cylinder having a waste inlet opening at one end and a waste outlet opening at its other end, a plurality of sets of prong bars arranged within said cylinder for rotation therewith, said sets of prong bars being ative to and longitudinally of suchy cylinder when at the rising side thereof and having retracting movement relative to and longitudinally of'said cylinder when at the falling side thereof, with the result. that during rotation of said cylinder and advancing movement of the rising prong bars the waste is not only carried to the top of said cylinder but also forwardly toward the outlet opening thereof, a longitudinally extending and centrally disposed slide sheet within said cylinder onto which the waste is dropped by the rising Iprong bars when said waste has been raised to the top of said cylinder, and a set of oscillatable shaker fingers arranged within said cylinder at the-bottom of said slide sheet and by which shaker fingers the Waste is lsubjected to a rather vigorous shaking action. i

THOMAS R. BOOTH. 

